Mayor sets out vision for promoting London as global business centre

Boris Johnson launched his vision for promoting London as the world’s business capital earlier today and was immediately accused of offering an “unimaginative plan for returning to a failed system”.

Johnson’s strategy includes promoting areas such as law, higher education and the creative industries where the capital can claim world-leading skills as well as the financial services sector.

Launching his ‘Rising to the Challenge’ document, the Mayor said London “is at a turning point in its history where it has the opportunity to use its energy, dynamism and diversity to excel as a world leading, world beating global city.”

“We have an extraordinary talent to develop high tech and hugely creative industries that dominate the world. I want to build on that reputation to ensure we lead the pack as the world centre for creating the new technologies that will help to mitigate the increasing problem of climate change.”
Members of the London Assembly have criticised the strategy. Green Party AM Darren Johnson said the Mayor “is essentially offering more of the same”.

“We need a different approach with a much greater emphasis on green industries where we can create at least 100,000 new jobs and a real emphasis on promoting local business throughout the capital, not just creating jobs in the centre. London’s economy needs to be about much more than banking and shopping.”

Dee Doocey, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly spokesperson on the economy, said the strategy “set out some fine principles about the economic development of London, but in reality little else. Setting out that London needs to remain competitive and transforming to a low carbon economy is saying little more than the obvious.”

“The Mayor is also proposing a strategy for the capital’s economy before even publishing other key strategies. His transport strategy and the London Plan should be integral to the Mayor’s vision for the development of London’s economy. The Mayor’s economic strategy can’t stand in perfect isolation from these major areas of policy.